ISSUE 03
SUMMER 2021
03
ISSUE 03 // SUMMER 2021
THE OFFICIAL SOUTHWESTERN STUDENT PUBLICATION
Table of Contents
IN THIS ISSUE 1 EIC Letter 2 Greetings from Dean Dickerson 4 California's Battle Against Dog Homelessness 7 I Have Been Very Lucky 8 Pushing Past the Fear 10 Drink to Rhyme 14 Recipes 16 Graduation Receipt 17 Class of 2021 Superlatives 20 Shoutouts
DEAR SOUTHWESTERN, It is with a proud and reflective heart that we write this, our parting (but in no way final) letter to the Southwestern community. This letter is dedicated to our 2021 graduates and the Southwestern faculty and administration. From the moment we took our seats at our designated tables on Orientation Day, our respective journeys at Southwestern Law School have been equal parts challenging and rewarding. At the outset, Southwestern required our best and in turn we required the best from ourselves. Along the way, we developed long-lasting relationships with colleagues and friends alike. Most importantly, we learned we can make an impact with our words, our platforms, and our allyship as advocates for the people. As part of the inaugural Editorial Staff of the Law Commentator, we thank you for your overwhelming support and contributions. When Editor In Chief Victoria Couch set out on the endeavor of revitalizing the Law Commentator, it was essential the publication served as a stage for the student body and the legal community generally. As Supervising Editor and her colleague, I can confidently say Victoria has more than succeeded. We thank our faculty advisors and members of the administration for their belief and support. We thank you, our readers, for your contributions, your involvement, your feedback, and your voice. We could not have done it without you. We have faith Law Commentator will reach even greater heights under our new Editorial Staff and congratulate them on the publication of their first issue. Our time as students at Southwestern Law School has come to end. We celebrate every achievement of the Class of 2021 and look forward to the ground-breaking work that is to come from our latest alumni. Sincerely,
Victoria Couch EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, 2020-21
Alexandra Figueroa SUPERVISING EDITOR, 2020-21 01
BY DEAN DARBY DICKERSON
02
ISSUE 03 // SUMMER 2021
THE OFFICIAL SOUTHWESTERN STUDENT PUBLICATION
I’m also looking forward to exploring Southern California. I welcome your advice on what to see and where to visit! I love going to live shows and already secured tickets to Hamilton, Green Day, and Rammstein. I’m psyched that Come from Away will be touring in 2022 and hope Genesis will add a West Coast swing in 2022. I look forward to attending some sporting events and visiting the "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" (I’ve been to the Orlando HP a few times, including the opening weekend). I need to find a new axe-throwing venue. I also welcome restaurant and boba tea suggestions. Next summer, I hope to visit the London study-abroad program and then spend a few days in both Paris and Reykjavik (there’s a great boba place downtown). I’ve been to Iceland twice in the winter, but I would like to visit in the summer to see how the landscape has changed. To close, I want to wish all the graduates taking the BAR exam "good luck." I am looking forward to the new school year and meeting everyone in person! Best, Darby Dickerson
Want to ma ke some recommen dations? Make them HERE!
Tess & Pete
On a glacier in Iceland, December 2017 03
BY HOPE CASELLA, ISAMAR NEGRETE, & MITCH KREMS As we undertake the unique task of navigating a remote legal education, many of us may be spending more time with our nonhuman animal companions than ever before. Maybe one of them is curled up near you as you read this right now! As I look over at one of my best friends, my dog Willow, I remember the crowded shelter she came from and the animals just like her who might never see their forever home. In the United States, between 3-4 million healthy cats and dogs are killed in animal shelters every year simply for want of homes, yet we continue to produce more than 70,000 additional kittens and puppies each day. Countless others are neglected or abandoned on the streets and die of injury or starvation. Yet, while 2020 has definitely broken some records, not all were bad. It was one of the best years for cat and dog adoptions nationwide. Thanks to the shutdowns, people flocked in record numbers to their local animal shelters looking to adopt nonhuman companions. The 2020 euthanasia and homelessness numbers are not yet fully known, but it is safe to say they likely represent a stark improvement from a typical year in the U.S. for homeless animals. As we set our sights on an existence less encumbered by the pandemic, I fear that these improvements in adoption rates are circumstantial and short-lived. To make sure we keep adoption and retention rates high, and homelessness and euthanasia rates low (or nonexistent) in a post-pandemic society, we must have a plan. Now that more people than ever before know the overwhelming love and healing that comes from sharing your home with a nonhuman companion, perhaps we finally have the public support and determination necessary to tackle this tragic issue. More than 20 years ago, California lawmakers passed the Hayden Act, a collection of laws that intended to move California’s animal shelters in the direction of saving more animals’ lives through “consolidation of preexisting legal requirements pertaining to animal shelters and emphasis on adoption and owner-redemption of lost pets.” According to UCLA School of Law Professor Taimie L. Bryant, who also served as one of the authors of the Act, the law required that all healthy or medically treatable animals in shelters be adopted instead of being killed. Unfortunately, the legislation was severely underfunded, and as a result, the burden to decrease euthanasia fell completely on local communities. This was especially true in 2009 when the state cut shelter funding during the recession. 04
In January 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom proposed that $50 million of the state budget be allocated for prevention of the euthanasia of healthy or treatable animals in shelters. The proposal was a monumental step to make the dream of California a “no-kill” state a reality. State funds would be put towards training veterinarian technicians and resources for spay/neuter procedures to reduce overpopulation and effectively prevent the euthanasia of thousands of animals. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the initial $50 million was scaled back to a disappointing $5 million. Even still, the 20202021 proposal was a significant step in cultivating awareness and advocating to save animal lives and reduce overpopulation. Not all animal advocates support “no-kill” legislation as the best way to help homeless cats and dogs. Perhaps the most outspoken opponent of the “no-kill” approach to companion animal overpopulation is PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). According to PETA, many groups striving to adopt “no-kill” policies use limited resources to provide temporary care and are often “forced to close their doors to the neediest animals—those who are in danger of abuse or are injured, sick, elderly, or aggressive.”PETA contends that these policies lead to prolonged periods spent in cages and a larger stray population. Many of these animals are not spayed or neutered which worsens the overpopulation issue. Beyond funding and policymaking, animal homelessness and overpopulation are also largely a result of their continued breeding and commercial sale. On September 19, 2020, Governor Newsom signed AB 2152, which strengthened the state’s existing ban on the retail sale of companion animals defined as dogs, cats, and rabbits. The law resolved an ambiguity that allowed some pet stores to circumvent the law prohibiting the sale of commercially bred pets by selling fake “rescue” puppies sourced from commercial breeders. It also banned pet stores from selling animals unless the animals were obtained from rescue organizations and prohibits pet stores from charging those rescue groups a fee to display adoptable animals. Animal Legal Defense Fund Senior Policy Program Manager, Nicole Pallotta, remarked on California’s recent law saying, “it is important for law and policy to reflect that animals are sentient beings with inherent value, rather than commodities to be bought and sold. California’s stronger law mandating adoption rather than purchase of companion animals in stores reinforces that they are more than mere property.” AB 2152 is an exciting step in the right direction. If California hopes to not only become a “no-kill” state, but also to make sure as many animals as possible end up in permanent, loving homes, there is still much to be done. By advocating for more innovative policies to decrease birth rates, end the commodification of companion animals, increase adoptions, and keep animals with responsible guardians, many more of them can be saved from abuse, neglect, and unwarranted death.
People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals, The Deadly Consequences of ‘No-Kill’ Policies New California Law Aims to Save More Companion Animals in Shelters, Animal Legal Defense Fund
05
WHAT YOU CAN DO Regardless of where our opinions fall in the “no-kill” debate, we all want to create a better world for our companion animals in need. Here are some things we can do right now to help work toward that better world:
SPAY/NEUTER YOUR COMPANION ANIMALS If you have not done this already, make it a priority to have your animals spayed or neutered! If cost is an issue, there are many low-cost clinics that will work with your circumstances and provide this crucial service for a discounted price. If you live in Los Angeles, the Spay and Neuter Project of Los Angeles is a great place to go.
FOR FERAL CATS: TRAP-NEUTER-RETURN (TNR) In a Trap-Neuter-Return program, community cats are humanely trapped (with box traps), brought to a veterinarian to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, ear tipped (the universal sign that a community cat has been neutered and vaccinated), and then returned to their outdoor home.
FOSTERING As long as you can give some love and time, temporarily providing a home and care to orphaned puppies or kittens, or to a senior animal, is an excellent way to take some of the burden off of our shelters and rescues.
Donate Donate toys, pet food, towels, blankets, collars and leashes, or funds to your local shelter. Reach out to your local animal shelter and find out what supplies it needs to help our furry friends. LA Animal Services has a wish list published on its website.
If you are interested in finding a low-cost spay and neuter clinic for your animals, learning how to “TNR” stray or feral cats in your community, or learning how to foster cats or dogs while they wait for their forever homes, contact Hope Casella, at hcasella18@swlaw.edu, for more information!
06
BY PROFESSOR EDWARD STARK I started teaching at Berlitz School of Languages in New York City during my last year in college. I soon realized that although the students were eager learners, I was learning as much, if not more, from my students as they were learning from me. I couldn’t believe that they were actually willing to pay me despite all the fun I was having – I almost felt guilty about being paid for doing something I enjoyed that much. While getting my M.A., I taught chemistry and served as chairman of the chemistry department at Edgemont High School in Scarsdale, New York. Being the only chemistry teacher at the school apparently helped me achieve that status. Thereafter, while obtaining my Ph.D. at UC San Diego, I taught junior college chemistry, and was even asked to stay and teach a semester of organic chemistry at UCSD after earning my degree. I then applied for and received a job teaching chemistry in London. On the day I was to render a decision about the London teaching position, I was notified that I had been accepted to law school. I then moved to Los Angeles and decided to teach chemistry full-time at Los Angeles City College and part-time at El Camino College, while attending Southwestern Law School’s evening program. While attending Southwestern I authored, and then taught from, a first-year college chemistry textbook, Essential Chemistry, which was used at a number of universities in the United States. I soon discovered the true extent of the book’s usage while attending a party in London and seeing my book in a stack of other textbooks in the host’s kitchen. After asking if I could thumb through the book, I resoundingly criticized it and enjoyed listening to her defend it. When I showed her a picture of the book’s author water skiing in the chapter dealing with surface tension, she remarked about how I looked “remarkably similar” to the author. Truly my fifteen minutes of fame! One of my great sources of pride was when my children would regularly reference my book to help them understand some of the more confusing concepts while taking chemistry at their respective colleges. I still occasionally see the book re-surface on Amazon, properly priced somewhere between postage and the cost to recycle it. I eventually decided to switch from teaching chemistry to teaching law and taught at two other law schools prior to being honored with an invitation to teach at Southwestern. Other than the time that I served on the Committee of Bar Examiners, I have continuously taught law and every time Southwestern asked me to return for another semester, I wondered if the Dean was confusing me with Tony Stark or Eddard Stark, as I regularly pondered how I could be fortunate enough to be included in the incredibly gifted, accomplished and brilliant academic scholars and practitioners who have been selected to teach at Southwestern Law School. I have been asked many times how I find the time to combine a busy career as a trial attorney with teaching law and the answer has never changed. As long as I feel that I am learning as much from my students as they are learning from me, I would like to continue. My life has been greatly enhanced by my students and I love hearing about their successes. Any time former students mention something that they learned from me that has made their careers more meaningful, or more successful – regardless of how they define the word “success,” – I smile and remind myself that teaching law has been the gift that truly keeps on giving. I have been very lucky!
07
BY PROFESSOR CATHERINE CARPENTER
The Beijing ballroom was packed. A thousand deans and law professors were seated theater-style in a large hotel room in the business district of Beijing, China. I was on the dais and about to speak. I was invited to the Chinese/American Law Deans’ Conference to discuss curricular trends in American legal education because of my work on ABA curricular reform. The simulcast translators were ready. The audience members had their headphones on. My PowerPoint presentation in English with Mandarin characters was uploaded on large screens positioned around the ballroom. My own translation efforts were only thanks to the diversity of Southwestern – no less than ten students had offered to translate my PowerPoint presentation into Mandarin. My heart was racing. But it was not because I was poised to speak to a thousand people, as odd as that may sound. I had done that before. My heart was racing because I was getting ready to do something I had never done before. I made the decision to open my remarks with my gratitude for the invitation to attend the conference, and I had decided to offer it in Mandarin. It was a simple greeting over five sentences. I spent two months practicing this one opening statement with a fabulous Southwestern student, a native Mandarin speaker, who graciously tutored me on the side. I think I spent more time on it than on my entire presentation. At the moment I faced the audience, I could not imagine what possessed me to prepare for that. I don’t speak Mandarin, I had never taken a course in it, and I had heard (rightly so) that Mandarin was an extremely difficult language because it was tonal. And just as the crowd settled down waiting for me to begin, I was reminded of the Olympic figure skater poised to do the Triple Lutz, who chickened out and did a Double Lutz instead (the quadruple had not yet been attempted).
08
ISSUE 03 // SUMMER 2021
THE OFFICIAL SOUTHWESTERN STUDENT PUBLICATION
Triple or Double Lutz? Which will it be? With a deep breath, I braved it and opened my presentation with my thanks in Mandarin. At the end of this short statement, the crowd rose with a spontaneous standing ovation. And here is the best part - they were all laughing as they applauded. Clearly delighted that I had tried it, but judging from their faces, the execution was considerably less than perfect. I have sometimes returned to that moment to remember that my desire for perfection was aspirational but not necessary. Attempting something you have not done before is empowering. Executing something, although not perfect, is a measure of success. To our 2021 graduates, you are already successful. You have performed the Triple Lutz time and again in law school. Some of you will perform Quadruple Lutzes in your professional life. Your next hurdle awaits, but you are ready for it. Please remember that passing the bar examination is all about proving your competence. Not perfection. An ugly Triple Lutz is still a Triple Lutz.
Dah jia how. Huan-ying dah-jya lie-dow Juh guh ju-oh -tan-hway. Woh-hun gow-shing yo jee-huay dow Beijing Gun nee-mun jiang-hua. Juh-shee-eh fa-lew ju-oh-tan-hway nun bang-joo Jong-guow gun may-guow fa-lew Shawng duh jiaol leeul.
Here is my opening printed out phonetically. For those who know Mandarin, phonics has almost nothing to do with the pronunciation of the words.
09
BY ALIXANDRA POWERS
Pre-pandemic I was a big traveler and loved exploring the bar scene in new cities. I don’t have any professional training, but through my own research, traveling, and conversing with bartenders, I’ve learned a lot about bartending methods, the science involved in making drinks, spirits, and flavor profiles. As a hobby, I combined my love of hip hop and craft cocktails and started the @drinks.to.rhyme Instagram page. Use this Spotify playlist while enjoying these creations! Each drink has been specifically created with the suggested song in mind. Follow the account, make your own renditions of these drinks, and tag me on Instagram or message me with a drink or song suggestion!
*Please drink responsibly! 10
NON-ALCOHOLIC, FRESH, VEGETAL SONG INSPO: 20 SOMETHING - SZA
2 Oz. Seedlip Grove 2 Oz. Green Juice .5 Oz. Lemon Juice .5 Oz Apple Juice
Method: Combine ingredients in beaker, stir over ice, strain 11
SPICEY, ROUND, SPIRIT-FORWARD SONG INSPO: LOST ONES - LAURYN HILL
2 oz. Plymouth Gin 1 oz. Dolin Red Vermouth 1 oz. Ginger-Cayenne Syrup .5 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice 2 Dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
Garnish rim with chai spice
Method: Combine ingredients in a beaker, stir over ice, strain
12
REFRESHING, SOUR, CITRUS SONG INSPO: BIKING - FRANK OCEAN
2 oz. Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum 1.5 oz. Fresh Lime Juice 1 oz. Coconut Cream .75 oz. Fino Sherry Cream .5 oz. Apricot-Cinnamon Syrup Garnish with fresh mint spring, nutmeg micro-plane Method: Combine all ingredients in shaker, shake vigorously over ice, double-strain
13
Ingredients 2 pounds Argentine Red Shrimp (chop each into 2-3 pieces) 10 limes 3 lemons 3 medium-sized tomatoes 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro Onion to taste 1 1/2 finely-chopped Serrano Peppers
TATI’S CEVICHE MEXICANO BY TATIANA OWENS
LIGHT, TANGY, FRESH, DELICIOUS
Sea Salt + Fresh Black Pepper to taste
Serve / Garnish Serve on a Tostada Add Avocado + Tapatio on top
Notes I prefer Argentine Shrimp, because they're wild caught, big, and flavorful. I get mine at Vons. However, you can use what's available.
Directions Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Add the juice from lemons and limes until all the ingredients are covered. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 45-60 minutes. The shrimp should change color and appear “cooked.”
Enough lemons + limes are needed to fully saturate the shrimp so it will cure in the fridge. The other ingredients are to taste, so adjust as necessary. Enjoy! 14
DIRECTIONS
BY BIANCA RECTOR
SWEET, CRISP, CRUNCHY
STEP 1: In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs, and extracts; beat with an electric mixer on high until light and fluffy. Make sure to scrape the bowl’s edges and mix further to ensure ingredients are dispersed evenly. STEP 2: In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk dry ingredients together. Combine dry ingredients to butter mixture, 1 cup at a time, beating at low to medium speed after each addition. Dough should be thick and not too sticky. Once the flour mixture has been completely incorporated, split dough into four even-sized balls, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill overnight.
Ingredients 1 cup butter (softened) 1 cup sugar 2 eggs ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon almond extract 3 ¼ cups flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt
STEP 3: When you’re ready to bake, take dough out of the refrigerator and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. STEP 4: Pre-heat the oven to 400°F and line two cookie trays with parchment paper. STEP 5: Sprinkle flour on a flat surface and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it is approximately ¼ of an inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out cookies and place them about one inch apart on the tray. STEP 6: Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until cookies don’t appear doughy in the middle but before the edges begin to brown. STEP 7: Decorate with your favorite frostings and sprinkles!
15
EP R P N TIO A U 51 D 5 $ : r GRA acte r a h C 00 1 $ Moral $70 : n a c Live S 135 $ : E R MP 831 $ : m a x Bar E Fee) ( + Lap
top
BY VICTORIA COUCH Be prepared to take the MPRE twic e!
LS A I R E AT M P E R BAR P 25 7 , 1 $ is: Them 99 9 , 1 $ i: 00 5 Barbr , 3 $ Fit: y l l a 99 FYI: If you don't return g 4 , Le 4 $ on time, you'll be ers: m i T e charged $600! n O Plan your pictures around finals, N graduation, bar prep, O This is your most ATI and this date. U D A R G important section! a Focus on picking the Regali curriculum that best suits your learning Stoles style, then budget res u t c i P accordingly. nts e m e c Don't pick based on oun n n A price! Ring s s a l C ame r F a Diplom Tam W options: Based on S 6 - $100 ckages: $1 a P re tu ic P (x10) ments: $30 Announce : $350+ Class Ring
We all know there are boxes to check in order to graduate and sit for the CA Bar. What isn't commonly discussed is the cost. During 3L, I was hit with all of the graduation prep fees within a two week period and it was quite overwhelming. If I could do it over, I would have looked into each of these fees much earlier in my law school education. Take some time to research each category and decide how you need to budget your remaining academic years.
Some student orgs charge graduates for a stole. Ask at the beginning of 3L Spring. If you want to make your own, allow at least 6 weeks to avoid the grad rush! $15 - $100 FYI: SW doesn't provid e you with the fancy hat for your JD graduation ! If you want one, you need to order it independently. $50
, ptions CT T EXA class o actors, O g N in t E a tr du S AR rty con 21 gra PRICE 3rd pa th e 20 's n n o r d e st se uthwe are ba ce, So m bers n . u ie n c r r e e s a se h e xp T he and re r so n a l e p y b either
P.S. The Bar requires Legal Certification and Official Sealed Transcripts. After graduation, SW will send on your behalf.
20
We want your thoughts! Have an idea for an article? A recipe? A poem? We want your voice heard! Send us your ideas at swlawcommentator@gmail.com.
21
THE OFFICIAL SOUTHWESTERN STUDENT PUBLICATION
ISSUE 03 // SUMMER 2021